US strikes ISIS militants in Northwest Nigeria

By Newsflash Team and Agencies

PALM BEACH, Florida- The United States carried out a military strike against Islamic State-linked militants operating in northwest Nigeria at the request of the Nigerian government, President Donald Trump and the U.S. military said on Thursday, asserting that the group had been attacking Christian communities in the area.

In a statement posted on Truth Social on Christmas Day, Trump said the operation was ordered under his authority as commander in chief and described it as a decisive response to escalating violence. He accused the militants of targeting and brutally killing “primarily, innocent Christians” at levels he claimed had not been witnessed “for many years, and even centuries.”

The remarks were issued as Trump spent the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he had no public engagements during the day and was last seen by reporters late Wednesday evening.

Joint operation with Nigerian Forces

The U.S. military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the strike took place in Sokoto State and was conducted in coordination with Nigerian authorities. According to AFRICOM, the operation resulted in the deaths of multiple Islamic State militants.

Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, confirmed to the British Broadcasting Corporation that the strike was a “joint operation” aimed at “terrorists” and stressed that it was not directed at any particular religion. Without explicitly naming ISIS, Tuggar said the operation had been in preparation for some time and relied on intelligence supplied by Nigerian agencies.

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He added that further military action could not be ruled out, noting that any additional strikes would depend on decisions made by the leadership of both countries.

The strike follows repeated warnings by Trump in late October that Christianity was facing what he called an “existential threat” in Nigeria. At the time, he threatened possible U.S. military intervention, accusing Nigerian authorities of failing to halt violence against Christian populations.

Reuters reported earlier this week that U.S. forces had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large areas of Nigeria since late November, signaling increased American involvement in monitoring militant activity.

‘More to come,’ Pentagon says

Nigeria’s foreign ministry said the strike formed part of ongoing security cooperation between Abuja and Washington, including intelligence sharing and strategic coordination targeting militant groups in the country’s northwest.

“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by air strikes in the North West,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X.

Footage released by the Pentagon showed at least one projectile being launched from a warship. A U.S. defense official said the operation targeted several militants at known Islamic State camps. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth thanked Nigeria for its cooperation and support, adding in a post on X: “More to come…”

Nigeria’s government has repeatedly said armed groups attack both Muslims and Christians, arguing that U.S. claims of Christian persecution oversimplify the country’s complex security challenges and overlook efforts to protect religious freedom. Despite this, Abuja has agreed to deepen cooperation with Washington to strengthen its capacity to combat militant groups.

Nigeria’s population is roughly divided between Muslims, who predominantly live in the north, and Christians, who are mainly based in the south.

Earlier on Thursday, police said a suspected suicide bomber killed at least five people and wounded 35 others at a mosque in northeast Nigeria, another region long affected by Islamist insurgency.

In a Christmas message posted on X, President Bola Tinubu called for peace across the country, particularly among people of different faiths. He said he remained committed to safeguarding religious freedom and protecting “Christians, Muslims, and all Nigerians from violence.”

The Nigeria strike follows separate large-scale U.S. military operations last week against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria, after Trump vowed retaliation following a suspected ISIS attack on U.S. personnel there.